Board Report - September 2023

 

The Board of Directors’ Report on the 2021 Three Year Strategic Plan and the Rooted in the Dharma Fundraising Campaign

Strategic Plan Report

In 2020, we met as a community for six discussions about our past, our present, and our future. In early 2021, the results of those meetings became the basis for our three-year Strategic Plan. Despite a pandemic and the serious illness of our founding teacher, John Travis, Mountain Stream’s Board, Staff, and Sangha worked together to accomplish the following from our Strategic Plan:

  • Hired an outstanding new Guiding Teacher, Adam Stonebraker, who will begin later this year 

  • Hired a dynamic, new Center Director, Robyn Hennon, who started earlier this year

  • Installed a state of the art audio/visual system that has enabled us to hold hybrid programs, sharing the dharma in person and with Sangha around the world

  • Offered a diversity of teachings offered through a variety of seasoned Vipassana teachers, as well as teachers from other traditions, many of whom participate in our expanded Teachers Council

  • Introduced several new programs: Tuesday’s weekly Sitting and Sangha; Embodied Practice and Service events; evenings of Mindful Movement; and multiple peer-led Affinity Groups

  • Held a variety of community gatherings: outdoor potlucks; a New Year’s Day Sit and Tea Social; Solstice and Equinox labyrinth walks; Open Temple Fridays; and monthly Temple Care events

  • Made significant progress in our multi-year, fire-safe landscape work

  • Reinvigorated and/or launched seven committees, with active, engaged volunteers who are making great progress on their respective goals

  • Continued to provide financial support to Hospitality House which shelters and supports the unhoused in Nevada County, feeding ninety people per month

  • Welcomed many new Sangha members, both in-person and virtually, who participate in a range of programs and activities

  • Expanded our Board of Directors and selected a new Board President

 In addition, we have: 

  • Responsibly and transparently managed Mountain Stream’s finances 

  • Maintained our Nevada City Insight Center facility

  • Implemented our first-ever multi-year, multi-purpose fundraising campaign, Rooted in the Dharma 

Rooted in the Dharma Report

Rooted in the Dharma was Mountain Stream’s first multi-year fundraising campaign. During our fiscal years 2021-2023, this campaign, through the generous contributions of Sangha, raised nearly $330,000. 

We have conservatively managed the donations received:

  • $157,181 enabled the delivery of a robust set of programs, paid for many of our operating and staff expenses, and additionally supported our facility needs (maintenance and repairs).

  • $172,668 remains in reserves. The majority of these funds are earmarked to help support our future Guiding Teacher. A smaller portion has been reserved for capital expenditures and our scholarship fund which supports Sangha members participation in residential retreats. 

A detailed report of the use of Rooted in the Dharma funds is available here. Rooted in the Dharma Report  - Sept 2023

Going Forward

Our top priorities for the next twelve months are to:

  1. Onboard our new Guiding Teacher

  2. Restore the cottage to either serve as a home for the new Guiding Teacher or as a domicile for visiting teachers

  3. Build a Tech Team, if volunteers are available, to fully realize the programming potential of our new hybrid system

  4. Create a Diversity and Inclusion Council to support our commitment to becoming a fully welcoming Dharma community

  5. Increase the number of volunteers to support current and additional programs

  6. Maintain the Temple, teachings and practice offerings and activities for the Sangha 

In Closing

Together, we’ve accomplished much; yet much remains to be done. There will be many opportunities in the coming months to offer our time and energy, our love and our financial support to help secure a strong, sustainable future for Mountain Stream. For all that we’ve done together, and all that we will do in the future, deep bows, deep gratitude.

2023 Board of Directors

President
Alison Sweetser
Guiding Teacher
John M. Travis
Treasurer
Stuart Clancy, CPA
Members at Large
Marcia Craighead
Mary Helen Fein
Sharon Lane
Robert Trent
Board Advisor
Randall Harris